Our mission and strategy
HDO fights for the establishment of a socially just, equitable and peace civil society through poverty eradication and sustainable development.
HDO seeks to fulfill its mission through a people centered, participatory sustainable development regarding Human Rights, Gender Balance and Environment. Its strategy is to:
- carry out social and people’s empowerment activities
- promote civil movement
- provide Human Rights, Peace building and Environment Education
- solidarity Economy / Community Finance
- promote gender and development issues at grass-root level but also national and international level trough advocacy, lobby, research and publication.
- carry out Humanitarian Solidarity Programs ( Among IDPs)
 The tea Plantation
HDO mainly focus its programs on :
- Right to developement
- Human Rights (especially Women and Children Rights)
- Social Justice
- Peace Building
- Humanitarian Programs
- IDPs Rights
- Post-Tsunami Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
HDO mainly works with tea plantation workers in the central part of Sri Lanka : Kandy, Kegalle, and Nuwara Eliya. But since the 26th of December 2004, the organization is also carrying out Rehabilitation and Reconstruction programs in the costal areas: Ampara, Batticaloa.
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Our Activities
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Plantation Development Program
 Plantation workers rally demonstration in 2007
In the Plantation the HDO launched - PLANTATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (PDP) with the participation of community and collaboration of CCFD, FRANCE since January 2003 to construct an empowered civil society for social transformation.
The program envisions genuine and meaningful participation of the plantation oppressed (Dalit) community in all aspects of the development process, by building their capabilities for self reliance and self management, through promotion and protection the right to development of the community in the central part of Sri Lanka ( Kandy, Kegalle & Nuwaraeliya districts)
Sustainable development has conventionally been defined as a development course that meets the needs of the present without sacrificing the capacity of future generations to meet their needs.
 Line room in Plantation
People’s empowerment is defined as the process of shifting the balance of political and economic power from the traditional elite in favor of the poor majority & women. This implies the acquisition of people’s power, the democratization of control over resources and decision - making. As well as the effective and sustainable utilization of such power.
- Fight against poverty; Food Sovereignty is the people’s fundamental right to determine their food, water, agriculture that affect their lives, livelihood and control of means of production.
- Human Rights, Peace, Democratization & Conflict resolution process towards the prevalence of peace.
- Economic Solidarity: Mobilize and empowerment of plantation workers in economic activities in the basis of rights to development.
- Empowerment of plantation women in the family, social and political life with the guaranteed safeguard for the rights of the children.
- People empowerment with in caring capacity of environment.
Human Rights Program The HDO also carry out an Human Rights program through Citizen's Watch, Women's Watch and Children's Watch.In the Plantation area, Human Rights are violated in many ways (political rights, education rights, health rights, housing rights etc.)
.JPG.jpg) Women's Watch the voice of the plantation's women
- Strengthening & empowering grass-roots civil societies and building movements to struggle against the injustice, inequalities and liberal globalization(awareness and social mobilization).
- Building Culture of Human Rights through Human Rights Education.
- Promoting peace co-existence and reconciliation
- Human Rights Monitoring & Fact Finding.
- Human Rights Intervention & Legal Action.
- National and International Advocacy & Networking.
- Strengthening capacity of the organization and CBOs.
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Our new projects
IDPs and Tsunami victim: Human Rights and Development Program
Since 26 dec 2004 we have been working with the tsunami refugee. The followings activities are in progress:
- Livelihood Activities (Micro credit for women and especially widows)
- Pre school and Education Activities
- Health education and Primary Health Care
- Skills Training for the youth (vocational training center)
- Permanant Housing &
Sanitation
- Fishermen Development
- People Mobilization and
Training
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Human Rights Education
- International lobby and advocacy (UN level)
.jpg) Pre school "Peace" with both Tamil and Muslim communities
IDPs and ethnic conflict
Since the fighting intensified in April 2006.The civil war of the past few months in the Eastern Province, the interacting conflicts among the armed groups, the artillery and the air attacks and bombs blasts have displaced thousands of people, killing, injuring and maiming for life almost an equal number of persons. This situation has raised a serious question of Human Rights on the country. An area between Trincomalee and Batticaloa in the Eastern Province is subjected to attacks and consequent displacement of persons. Such displacement - which at first glance may appear to be that people move from place to another place-entails their loss of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. A notable feature here is that the UN principles on displaced persons is not followed.
HDO decided to support IDPs Empowerment Project
.JPG.jpg) A widows in an IDPs village
In the two village of Malwatta and Valatapithy in Ampara District we planned to implement a sustainable development project.
Some of these activities will start in October 2007, but we still need any support
- Peace building through children activities (school exchange, draw exhibition)
- Awareness program on pesticide utilization
- Water access
- Livelihood activities through micro credit
- Education support (pre school, scholarship, extra classes)
- Training for the youth (vocational training center)
European Fair Campaign
Plantation commodities (tea, coffee or banana) became famous food and beverage for many people all around the world. Producers and workers in the plantation are discriminated in many ways. Their dignity and rights are also violated. The development of the plantation's people is connected to globalization.
.JPG.jpg) Our program coordinator with a Kenyan plantation women
The income of the plantation's workers depends on the consumption of tea of European citizen and on the salary choice of the European MNC. In the plantation business, many managers and owners are from Multinational Companies (MNC) of the Northern world and especially from Europe. Also most of the consumers are in the Northern world.
But the workers life's conditions didn't change and their Human Rights are still not respected. Therefore there is an important and urgent need to create awareness and education among European consumers on the situation of the workers of the plantation from the Third-World.
This initiative can be done in the following way.
- Developing a campaign in Europe
- Creating awareness and educating public especially school children and young people
- Pressurizing MNC in this countries
- Developing a common code of ethics for this companies
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| | HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION HDO SRI LANKA
P.O.Box. 171, 7 Mulgampala Road • Kandy 20000, Sri Lanka,
phone: 0094 81 2232217 • fax: 0094 81 2232217 |
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